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Jermain Defoe has revealed that Tottenham fans have not seen the best of Mikey Moore and backed the youngster to showcase his quality in the Scottish Premiership as he edges closer to a switch to Rangers.

According to various reports, Tottenham have agreed to send Moore on loan to Rangers for the upcoming season so that the youngster can get regular senior football under his belt.

It has been revealed that Rangers boss Russell Martin convinced Moore and Tottenham that a switch to Glasgow would be the right step for the youngster.

As a result, the 17-year-old is thought to have rejected advances from several Championship sides in favour of a switch to Ibrox.

Jermain Defoe heaps praise on Tottenham’s Mikey Moore

Spurs fans certainly saw some glimpses of the teenager’s outstanding quality on the ball last season, although his game time did dry up towards the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Defoe, who has himself played for Rangers, is delighted to see the winger move to the Scottish side.

The 42-year-old admitted that it might take some time for the youngster to get going at the Glasgow giants, but claimed that he can dominate once he gains in confidence.

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When asked about the Tottenham starlet’s impending move to Rangers, Defoe told Footy Accumulators: “Mikey Moore’s an amazing young talent. When I came into the academy, they said to me, there’s this young player that you need to see because he’s the next best thing. As soon as I saw him, I thought he has got something special.

“He deserves the opportunities that he is getting right now, and we must remember, he’s very young, only 17. He’s still got time to improve, and I don’t think anyone has seen the best of Mikey Moore yet.

“Once he plays consistently and he gets that confidence and arrogance that he had in the youth team, then we’ll see the best of Mikey, he is a top player.”

Defoe reveals what Moore has to work on at Rangers

The former Spurs striker and academy coach revealed that he is still in regular contact with Moore and advised him to continue working hard on his game.

Defoe suggested that the versatile attacker needs to work on his final third actions at Rangers and urged him to embrace the challenges of playing up north.

He added: “I still speak to Mikey now, he’s someone that wants to improve, he’s a nice kid. I was so happy when I saw him come on last season in Europe and get his first goal, and he gave me a little mention in the interview after which was brilliant.”

“My advice to him would be to keep working hard, keep improving every day on your game and working on your game every single day. Work on those final third actions, whether that’s a pass or whether that’s a shot.

“Focus every single day to improve because you’re a young player and there’s so much improvement that you can make. But he also needs to embrace it. Learn from the players around you and learn from the players that you play against.”

Stefan Borson is impressed with the new hires that Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur have made this summer to help improve their bottom line.

It has not been a particularly productive transfer window for Spurs so far, particularly after Morgan Gibbs-White’s shock U-turn, which has left the Lilywhites with plenty of work to do.

While there might not have been a huge turnover of the playing staff yet, there have been some big changes at the top, the most high-profile of which is Vinai Venkatesham arriving as Tottenham’s new CEO.

Executive Donna-Maria Cullen has stepped down from the Spurs board after two decades of service, while Scott Munn has been placed on gardening leave.

Stefan Borsen makes a claim about Tottenham’s recent hire

There have also been other changes at the top, which have not received a lot of press. One of those is the fact that Levy has hired Altius8 agency, which was founded by former Manchester United executives, to help transform Tottenham’s revenues.

This information was reported two weeks ago by The Telegraph, who claimed that the team is led by Victoria Timpson, who left Old Trafford as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting measures last summer.

When asked what he makes of Altius8 agency being hired by Daniel Levy at Tottenham, football finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider: “I have heard good things about these former United executives. They will probably quite like the opportunity to work for different clubs, selling a different proposition, selling a London proposition, for example, versus maybe a slightly tired United proposition that they’ve sold for 10 years.

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“Spurs gives them something new to sell, so they’ll quite like it. Obviously, they’re personally incentivised because it’s their own agency. You might find that they get a different set of results based on that. But I think it makes sense for both parties.”

Are these changes a prelude to a Tottenham takeover?

Several sources have said that the changes in the Tottenham boardroom are a prelude to ENIC pumping money into the club.

Some journalists believe that investment may already have arrived at Spurs, potentially even as part of a minority takeover by a third party.

The Athletic have dug into the statistics surrounding Morgan Gibbs-White and have put forward four similar alternatives for Tottenham.

Tottenham have been backed to very quickly turn to other options after being snubbed by Gibbs-White, who has signed a new three-year contract at Nottingham Forest.

The delay for the Gibbs-White deal has meant that Spurs have missed out on other attacking midfielders such as Xavi Simons, who appears to be on his way to Chelsea.

It remains to be seen who the Lilywhites will turn to, and it has now been pointed out that the North London club may find some bargains if they turn to the Bundesliga or La Liga.

Two Bundesliga men and one La Liga star suggested as Morgan Gibbs-White alternative

Elias Burke, Thom Harris, and Mark Carey have co-written an article for The Athletic examining the similar profile of players around Europe who Tottenham Hotspur can turn to.

It is pointed out that Gibbs-White was among the best in Europe’s top four leagues when it comes to both progressive passes and carries last season, which makes him a rare double threat.

It is suggested that Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid could offer similar attributes to Spurs, being capable of progressing the ball up the pitch in several ways.

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Mainz attacking midfielder Nadiem Amiri is also put forward as an option, with the German international starting his career as a number ten before being moved into central midfield.

Finally, the report says that the Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet could also be an ‘intriguing alternative’, with the Spaniard being comfortable receiving the ball in tight spaces and also having an eye for goal as demonstrated by his 17 strikes across all competitions last season.

Tottenham told to look at Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott

The Athletic also suggest one option close to home, naming Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott as someone who can perform a similar job for Tottenham in the number ten role.

This is interesting as several sources have confirmed that Elliott is indeed one of the options on Thomas Frank’s radar as an alternative for Gibbs-White.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to push ahead with a move for a Morgan Gibbs-White alternative, and they are prepared to meet the player’s key demand to convince him to come to N17.

It has been reported over the last few days that Tottenham have identified several alternatives to Morgan Gibbs-White, with Spurs fans eagerly waiting to see who the Lilywhites will make a move for next.

It has been claimed by Spurs insider, Paul O’Keefe, and a number of other sources, that one of the names on Tottenham’s radar is Harvey Elliott, who is thought to be keen to leave Anfield.

A new update has revealed what Tottenham are willing to do to convince the Liverpool man to move to N17.

Tottenham prepared to meet Harvey Elliott’s key demand

TBR Football confirms that Thomas Frank remains keen on adding another creative midfielder to his squad, owing to the injury woes of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

The report claims that Spurs are ready to reignite their interest in Elliott, who is available for £50m this summer.

The versatile midfielder wants regular game time next season and does not believe he will get it in Merseyside, particularly after the arrival of Florian Wirtz.

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The outlet asserts that Elliott has made it clear to suitors that he wants to play as a number ten, and Thomas Frank’s men are ready to grant him that wish to bring him to the club.

Tottenham face competition from three clubs for Elliott

However, a deal for the 22-year-old will not be straightforward for Tottenham Hotspur to complete, with the player also on the radar of three other clubs.

West Ham United and Newcastle are both keen on Elliott, although the Mapies’ interest has cooled a bit after they signed Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp, who currently works as the Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull group, is keen to take the midfielder to Leipzig this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with one of their first-team defenders over signing a new contract with improved terms after impressive performances last season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season squad to tour Asia was revealed only two days ago, and it highlighted just how short Spurs are in the full-back department.

Ben Davies, as it stands, is the only recognised left-back at Tottenham following the recent injury picked up by Destiny Udogie, which prevented the Italian from flying to Asia.

Of course, there are makeshift options still available to Thomas Frank, with Djed Spence – who deputised at both left-back and right-back last season – very capable of filling in on either flank.

Djed Spence in talks with Tottenham over new contract

New reports from Paul O’Keefe, a Tottenham insider, have revealed that work is underway behind the scenes to offer Djed Spence a new deal at Spurs.

Spence was an excellent performer for Tottenham last campaign, with the 24-year-old showing great resilience in working his way back into the Spurs squad after being frozen out in previous years by Antonio Conte.

However, thanks to his impressive performances in the 24/25 season, Spence was rewarded with a new contract last term, with Spurs improving his previous wages and tying him down till 2028.

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O’Keefe’s tweet on X reads: “Djed Spence in talks with Tottenham over a new improved contract.”

Spurs must keep Spence but also sign another full-back

Given Tottenham’s depth in the full-back area, keeping hold of Djed Spence is even more important thanks to his versatility.

Nevertheless, the addition of another full-back still needs to be explored this summer – one that can do a job either on the right or the left.

Udogie’s injury record does not inspire any confidence that the Italy international would be available all season.

As Tottenham continue to be linked with several big-name players, football finance expert Dan Plumley has revealed how the Lilywhites can fund another big purchase or two this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are not too pleased with the club’s transfer business so far, with Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai being the only players to arrive through the door this summer.

The club are now well into their pre-season campaign and have jetted off to the Asia leg of the tour, and the frustrations of the supporters are mainly due to the fact that Spurs wasted two-and-a-half weeks on the failed pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White.

According to reports, Tottenham are not panicking despite Gibbs-White’s snub, with several reports indicating that the Lilywhites may be ready to break their transfer record on other signings this summer.

Tottenham set for £87m financial boost

There have been suggestions that Tottenham have already made a bid of €70m (£60.6m) for Illiya Zabarnyi despite the fact that Thomas Frank has no shortage of centre-backs at his disposal.

Some journalists think Spurs may have received a cash injection from ENIC, but Dan Plumley has now revealed that it is the over €100m (£87m) in expected Champions League revenue that may have encouraged the Lilywhites to take some gambles this summer.

When asked how Tottenham could afford to spend big on Zabarnyi, Plumey told Football Insider: “A few factors to consider. If we look at the numbers we can see, we’re looking 2024’s numbers on PSR cycles, and from the outside looking in, and not a case of how much they can spend, but how much could they have lost and still been compliant, they could have lost around £200m in the 2024 window and still been compliant with PSR.

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“If you roll that forward, going into the season we’re about to start, you’ve got Champions League revenue, which is going to be at least €100m (£87m) for an English club. You’ve still got Premier League TV money, which is year on year, and they’re an established Premier League club. Their match day revenue has gone up because of the new stadium in recent years, so financially, they’ve always seemed absolutely fine.

“It’s one of those again where it’s how much do they want to spend, and I think with this one, getting into the Champions League is huge within this context because that’s going to mean that you can go and invest in your squad, and you’ve got to because that’s the elite competition in Europe.”

Why Tottenham are unlikely to sign Illiya Zabarnyi

While Plumey’s point is valid and we might see Tottenham spend big on a couple of more players this summer, Zabarnyi may not be near the top of their wishlist.

This is because it now appears like Cristian Romero is likely to remain at Spurs after Atletico Madrid reportedly gave up on their efforts to sign the Argentine.

Tottenham Hotspur are not panicking after being snubbed by Morgan Gibbs-White, and the North Londoners have drawn up a four-man shortlist to replace the central midfielder.

It was reported until late last week that the Gibbs-White remained keen to complete a move to Tottenham after the North Londoners met the player’s £60m release clause.

However, out of nowhere, news broke on Saturday that Gibbs-White decided to sign a new three-year contract at Nottingham Forest, with the development coming as a huge blow to the Lilywhites.

Some sources have backed Tottenham to move on very quickly from the Gibbs-White snub, and Graeme Bailey has now suggested the same thing.

Tottenham are not panicking after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White

It was suggested a couple of days ago that Tottenham had identified Xavi Simons as a target earlier this summer, but the North London club will miss out on the Dutchman, who is expected to sign for Chelsea.

The two-and-a-half-week delay on the Forest star’s pursuit may end up costing Spurs, but Graeme Bailey has revealed that there is no panic at the North London side at the moment.

The journalist revealed that the club have several alternatives in mind and will take their time to pick the right one to sign.

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Bailey told TBR Football: “Gibbs-White was disappointing to them as we know, but there are going to be no knee-jerk reactions. They have done work on a lot of players; they have several options they like.”

Who are the options on Spurs’ radar to replace Gibbs-White?

The same update from TBR Football says that Harvey Elliott is one of the options on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar, with the London side first expressing an interest in the Liverpool star back in June.

Additionally, the outlet says that Spurs are continuing to monitor the situation of Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho, who is also on the radar of other Premier League sides.

Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey and Man City starlet James McAtee are also on Thomas Frank’s transfer shortlist.

Destiny Udogie has now rubbished reports that he could be out of action for a long time after Tottenham confirmed that the left-back is injured.

Thomas Frank said that Udogie was left out of the friendly against Luton Town as a precaution, but the events that have followed over the last few days suggest that the problem might be more serious than first thought.

Udogie has not travelled with the Tottenham squad on their pre-season trip to Asia, which got some alarm bells ringing among Spurs fans.

In his press conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Frank admitted that Udogie has suffered a knee injury, which Tottenham are still assessing.

Destiny Udogie shuts down rumours of a long injury layoff at Tottenham

The Italy international has been no stranger to knee and hamstring injuries in his two years at Tottenham Hotspur, and some supporters are thus understandably worried that this could keep him out of action for several months.

There are even rumours floating around social media that Udogie could miss the majority of the first half of the season as he could be sidelined for up to four months.

However, the 22-year-old has taken to Snapchat to dismiss the claim, writing: “four months?” along with a laughing emoji, with a band that read ‘fake’ across the image.

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Will this accelerate Spurs’ move for a left-back?

It has been widely reported this summer that Thomas Frank wants to add another left-back to his squad.

Fulham star Antonee Robinson is thought to be one of the options on Tottenham’s radar, but the speculation linking the USA international with a move to N17 has died down over recent months.

Tottenham Hotspur have officially made four signings in the summer transfer window, but there are still shortcomings across the first-team squad.

The world of professional football is a fast-paced environment. One day, a club delights their supporters, and the next, there are protests. This is quite an extreme example, but not so dissimilar to what has happened at Tottenham Hotspur.

There was growing optimism that this would be the summer when Spurs altered their transfer strategy to show ambition and compete for more silverware.

The signing of Mohammed Kudus was a good start, and it looked like Tottenham would once again cross the £50m mark to secure the signature of Morgan Gibbs-White. In the end, a deal was not completed, and Gibbs-White signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

Some clubs would waste no time in signing an alternative, but Spurs have headed to Asia for a pre-season tour, with a squad which is lacking in quality. There are positions where there is a particular need for a player who will take the team to the next level.

Tottenham do not have a complete goalkeeper

The goalkeeper position at Tottenham has frequently been discussed as an area where there is adequate depth. With the sale of Josh Keeley and Antonin Kinsky being linked with a loan move to Lille, this might not be the case for long.

Kinsky himself does not look ready to be Tottenham’s starting goalkeeper. His handling ability needs work, and a loan move could be beneficial for him. However, that would leave Spurs short on shot-stoppers. Quantity is not the sole issue, as questions have been raised over whether or not Guglielmo Vicario is good enough to start.

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There are certainly obvious weaknesses in the Italian’s game and despite spending two years in North London, Vicario does not look to have improved much in those areas. He still lacks composure at set pieces, while his goalkeeping in general was not overly convincing towards the back end of last season.

Despite Vicario’s shortcomings, the chances of Spurs signing a new goalkeeper to compete with him seem slim.

Spurs are an injury away from peril at left-back

With Destiny Udogie injured, Tottenham lined up against Wycombe Wanderers with Ben Davies at left-back, while Jamie Donley filled the role at Luton Town.

Donley is an attacking midfielder. It is not good that his rare chance to play for Spurs is in a secondary position. Likewise, Davies has not primarily played as a left-back for some time, and should Tottenham really still be in a position where he is still having to step in as Mr Reliable?

It is clear that if Udogie gets injured, Spurs lack quality on the defensive left flank. Of course, other players are capable of playing there, such as Djed Spence. However, Thomas Frank appears to prefer him on the right. Whatever way you look at it, Spurs could use a new solid left-back.

Tottenham lack a star holding midfielder

There is no issue in the Tottenham midfield where quantity is concerned. However, there is no one pivot or defensive midfielder that can be deemed the standout man. Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray both impressed last season, but are they ready to be starting week-in, week-out?

Yves Bissouma had a strong finish to the season, but he has never really reached the heights expected of him at Spurs. Rodrigo Bentancur is widely viewed as a more complete player, but even the Uruguayan international has struggled to make an impact at times. His less liberating role under Ange Postecoglou certainly did his game no favours.

The numbers may be there, but there is no current Tottenham midfielder who can dominate the middle of the park, the way players like Mousa Dembele did. There are plenty of ‘okay’ centralised players at Spurs, but no one currently is offering the wow factor.

Spurs badly need a new striker

Game after game passes by and it looks all the more likely that Dominic Solanke will fail to succeed in sorting out his finishing. The Englishman’s goalscoring record in his first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was simply not good enough.

Solanke scored 19 league goals in his final season at Bournemouth, but he has struggled to find the back of the net since joining Spurs. Comparing him to Harry Kane is unhelpful, but even Heung-min Son and Richarlison had better goal tallies in the 2023/24 season.

Other than Solanke, Tottenham’s out-and-out striker options are Will Lankshear and Dane Scarlett, neither of whom will challenge the 27-year-old. If Spurs fail to sign a centre forward before the transfer window closes, it will be nothing short of a disaster.

Tottenham still have problems on the left wing

Without meaning to sound like a stuck record, Tottenham really lack quality on the left flank. Mathys Tel is yet to prove himself, while Mikey Moore looks set to join Rangers on loan. That leaves Richarlison and Son, and despite Frank saying Son has a role to play at Tottenham next season, there are no guarantees he will remain at the club.

The Korean is a legend, there is no question about that. However, Tottenham are in trouble if Son remains a first-team player, as he is simply no longer the world-class forward he once was. Richarlison has issues too, as he is injury-prone. As well as this, he has never really had his standout moment at Spurs.

If Son does remain at Tottenham, there may not be an addition on the left wing, but this would be a huge mistake. However, Spurs have made an approach for Rodrygo, a player who is capable of playing on either wing.

Tottenham are closely tracking a 21-year-old Championship player they were linked with back in 2024 – but they are not alone, with several Premier League rivals also in the hunt.

Tottenham Hotspur are very well covered in terms of depth in the attacking area of the pitch, as Heung-min Son, Mathys Tel, Brennan Johnson, Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore are all front-footed attacking players with flair.

However, that depth could quickly be tested if Heung-min Son departs for LA FC, Mikey Moore secures a loan move to Rangers, or Richarlison is sold, with all three situations reportedly being monitored.

Tottenham do have other pressing priorities when it comes to strengthening their squad, particularly in midfield, where the holding role is still lacking a dominant and consistent presence.

Tottenham monitoring Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss

TBR Football are now reporting that Tottenham are amongst a host of Premier League clubs keeping close tabs on Leicester City’s No.11, Bilal El Khannouss.

It is understood that El Khannouss’ future remains up in the air this summer, and he is widely expected to leave the King Power Stadium following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season.

Other Premier League clubs, including Sunderland, Leeds United and West Ham United, are also believed to be tracking the player’s situation, alongside Tottenham and Newcastle United.

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Spurs rival European clubs for El Khannouss’ signature

It is further reported that clubs outside of England have also shown an interest in the Leicester City man.

The likes of RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Monaco, Atalanta and Valencia are all said to be admirers of the 21-year-old, who continues to build a reputation as one of the most technically gifted young players in Europe.

El Khannouss has long been on Tottenham’s radar, with reported interest from the North London club stretching as far back as 2024.

A creative and direct attacking midfielder who can also operate from wide areas, El Khannouss is a front-footed footballer who always looks to impact matches with incisive passing and technical quality.